Ordnance.



W. D. SMITH.

ORDNANCE.

APPLIQATIQN FILED SEPT. 8. 1910. RENEWED SEPT.12, 1912.

Patented Mar. 11,1913.

2 sums-sum 1.

ns E 1|. M W I W. D. SMITH. ORDNANGE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s, 1910.RENEWED SEPT. 12,1912.

Patented Mar. 11,1913.

2 sums-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES .ing the time the'gun is being OFFICE.

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Patented Mar. 11, 1913.

Application filed September 8, 1810, Serial No. 581,068. RenewedSeptember 12, 1912. Serial no. 720,098.

To all whom it 75m concern:

Be it knownlatl t I, WILLIAM D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident-of Washington, in the District-of Columbia, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Ordnance, of which thefollowing is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,

This invention relates to ordnance of the breech loading type, rovidedwith a breech block and a gas chec to prevent the escape of the gasrearwardly.

The object of my invention is to provide means for admitting air orother fluid bea tween the gas check and the mushroom head, withoutmaterially changing the construction of the guns now in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pressure chamber -within.the

reach of the gun, containing a' piston which is connected to themushroom head and adapted to be advanced by the pressure in the chamberto advance the mushroom head into the bore'of the gun to 'admitthe fluidpressure to flush and cool the gun.

Still another ob'ect of my invention is to provide a piston it betweenthe end of the spindle on the mushroom .head and the pressurechamber toprevent all leakage of pressure rearwardly. along said stem.

The precise nature of my invention will be best u'nderstood by referenceto the accompanying drawings, which will now be described it beingpremised, however, that various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction and general arrangement of the parts without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention, as defined in the ap ended claims.

T igure 1 is a rear view of the breech portion of a gun equipped withone form of mfv'improved apparatus for flushing the gun 9. er itsdischar c. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view on %he line 11-11 of Fig;1, showing the parts in their position before the gun is tired; Fig. 3is a similar view showin the parts in the position they assume a ter thegun has been fired and durflushed. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the incIV-IV of Fig. 3;

In the drawings, the numeral 2 designates the breech portion of the gunhaving a screw threaded orifice in which is seated a breech block 3. 4is a carrier sleeve on which the breech block 3 is mounted and formedinte ral therewith is a carrier 5, which is ivote to a pin 6, in theprojection 7 extend mg from the breech of e gun. The carrier sleeve isbored out for the reception of a piston 8, I

nal k'ey seat 11 in which is seated a key portion 12 on a sleeve 13 onthe stem 9, and

which engages the one face of the piston 8.

The forward end of this sleeve is somewhat smaller in diameter andenters the bore threugh the breech block 3 as indicated at 14. The rearend of the stem 9 of the mushroom head is turned down and is providedwith a shoulder against which the sleeve 13 is held by means of thescrew threaded engagement between the piston 8 and'the stem 9.

15 is a key seat in the stem 9, and 16 is a key on the sleeve 13'whichis seated therein and arranged to prevent the mushroom head from turningwith relation to the carrier sleeve '4 through the medium of the sleeve13 and its key connection with said ton fit with the end of said stem,and which is provided with a plurality of packing rings 18. Theperiphery of this cylinder head is provided with screw threads whichengage an internally threaded portion of the rear end of the carriersleeve 4. Connected to the rear end of the 'stem 9, I have shown thefiring mechanism 19 which may be of any approved ty e.

20 IS an air caamber in the rear portion of the bore of the carriersleeve 4, and leading into this pressure chamber is a pressure supply pie 21 which may be connected to any suita le source of fluid pressuresupply, and which may be controlled by any suitable valve mechanism. t

22 is the gas check surrounding the stem of the mushroom head andinterposed between'the mushroom head and the breech block.

23 is a coil spring surrounding the sleeve edge of the gas check 22 whenthe mushroom head is in its retracted position,

' The operation of'the device is as follows:

Immediatelyafter the gun is fired, pressure is admitted into the chamber20,: which will advance the piston 8 andwith it the mushroom head 10.Fluid pressure willthen pass from the chamber 20 through the ports 26into the bore ofthe gun between the gas check and the mushroomhead toflush and coolthe gun. As soon as the pressure supply has been cut off,the spring 23 will return the parts to the position shown in Fig-:

2. When it is desired to remove the breech block, it is rotated inthebre'ech of the gun and on the carrier-sleeve4 to unlockit from thebreech, after which the breech block is translated and the carrieris'swung on the pivot pin- 6. After the gun has been reloaded thebreechblock is again. inserted into the gun and locked by means of thescrew threaded connection with the breech ofthegun; The advantages of myinvent-ion result fromthe provision of a mushroom head having a stemwhich-has a piston fit with a cylinder head in the .rear of the pressurechamber. 7

Another advantageof my invention results from the provision ofa' erfectfit between the pistonon the spind e and .the pressure chamber,together'with a sleeve in engagement with one end of the piston which isprovided with. a key connection with the spindle of the mushroom headand the carrier-sleeve, to prevent said parts from rotating vwithrelation to each other. By this arrangement," I-am enabled to provide apiston fit between the various members on both sides of i the piston andthereby avoid all chances of leakage and at the same time provide ductsalong tlie eriphery of the stem of the mushroom head which willadmit/air from said chamber to the hereof the gun between, the'mushroomhead and the gas check when the mushroom head 'is ad vanced.

I claim:

1. I1 a breech loading gun, a carrier sleeve, a breech block 'mounted onthe carrier sleeve and within the breech of the gun, a pressure chamberwithin the carrier sleeve, a mushroom head-havin a spindle extendingthroughthe breech Iflock into the carrier sleeve, a piston on thespindle of the ber, and a sleeve within the carrier sleeve arranged toreciprocate with said spindle and also prevent any rotary movement ofthemnshroom head wit-h relation to the car- 'rier sleeve; substantiallyas described.

sleeve, a breech block mounted on the'carrier sleeve, achamberr'withinthe .s'leeve, a mushroom head having'a sfiindleextendinginto said chamber, a. "piston on two parts, 'means to admit fiuidpressure intoa one part of the chamber to advance themushroom head,means to prevent fluid pressure passing from one part 'of said otherpart oflsaidchamber tojreturn the mushroom head; substantially asdescribed;

3. In a breech loading gun, a carrier sleeve, a breech block mounted onthe car rier sleeve, a chamber/v r 'i 'thin' the carrier 'sleevei a'iitusiii'oom head having a spindle extending into said chamber, apiston on two parts, Vmeans to admit fluid pressure into one part ofthechamber to advance the mushroom head, means to prevent fluid pressurepassing from one part of; said chamber to the other part, and a springin the other part of said chamber to return. the mushroom head;substantially, as doscribed.

sleeve, a breech blockmounted on thelearsaid spindle separatingfthe intothe mushroom head, fluid pressure ports leading directly from said" partof the cham her to the bore of the gun when 'the mushroom head is,advanced, and a-spring in the other part of said chamber to return themushroom head scribed. 7

5. In a breech loading gun, a carrier sleeve, a breech block mounted onthe carrier sleeve, a chamber within the carrier sleeve, a mushroom headhavingvaspindle extending .through said chamber, a cylinder headsurrounding said spindle and closing spindle separating the chamber intotwo parts, means to admit fluid pressure into one part of the chambertoadv'ance the mushroom head, and means in -theother part of saidchamber to return the mushroom head; substantially as described.

6. In a breech loading gun, a carrier sleeve, a breech block mounted onthe carrier sleeve, a chamber within the carrier said spindle separatingthe chamber into.

; substantially as de-;

mushroom head within said pressure cham 2. In a breech loading gun, acarrier said spindle separating the chamber into 7 chamber to the otherpart, and meansinthe' V 4. In a breech loading 1a m rier: sleeve, achamber WithiIiQthf carrier sleeve, a mushroom head having, a' spi'ndleextending into said-chamber, a'pi ston 'on two parts, means .to ad mit'fluid pressure into one part of the chambertojadvance one end of saidchamber, a piston on said' sleeve, a mushroom head having a spindleextending into said chamber, a piston on said spindle separating thechamber into two parts, means to admit fluid pressure into one part ofthe chamber to advance the mushroom head, a sleeve surrounding saidspindle and extendin into the breech block, a flange on said s eeveWithin the second part of said chamber, a spring in the second portionof said chamber engaging the flange on the sleeve and the breech blockto return the mushroom head, and means on said sleeve to limit theadvance movement of the mushroom head; substantially as described.

7. In a breech loading gun, a carrier sleeve, a breech block rotatablymounted on the carrier sleeve and inthe breech of the gun and arrangedto be locked therein, a mushroom head having a stem extending throughthe breech block and the carrier sleeve, a pressure chamber within thecarrier sleeve, means for admitting pressure to said chamher, a iston onthe stem of the mushroom head within the pressure chamber, and ports insaid stem in cbmmuniration with the pressure chamber, the piston beingarranged to advance the mushroom head by means of the fluid pressure inthe pressure chamber to admit pressure to the bore of the gun to flushand cool the same; substantially as described.

8. In a breech-loadingi gun, a removable breech block having a carriersleeve, a fluid pressure chamber therein, the block being rotatablymounted upon the Walls of said chamber for unlocking, a mushroom headhaving a. stem extending through the breech block into said chamber andcarrying a piston therein, and means for admitting fluid pressure behindsaid piston, together with means for permitting the escape of fluidpressure from said chamber into the bore of the gun when said piston ismoved substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

, \V. D. SMITH.

- Witnesses: I

GEO. B. BLEMlNG, Jesse B. HELLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five Cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

